NEW DELHI: 'Der aaye durust aaye'. The family of a 2001 Parliament attack responded by using this old Hindi adage which means 'better late than never'.

Son of Matbar Singh Negi, who was duty on December 13 on the fateful day as part of the Parliament watch and ward staff, said today's hanging of Afzal Guru in Tihar jail was a good decision by the government and it will send a strong message to terrorist groups.

"It is a good decision by the government and this step (hanging) today will send a strong message to those terror organisations who are thinking of creating trouble in India," Negi's son Gautam Negi said here.

"This should have been done long ago...it is late but we are happy...nevertheless 'der aaye durust aaye' (better late than never), he said.

Gautam said his family got the information of the hanging of Guru this morning from television news channels and this was a "good news" for them.

"He (Guru) was ultimately handed down the right punishment. All politics related to the Parliament attack case, we hope, will now end," he said.

Gautam said they were hopeful of such a punishment to Guru since the hanging of Mumbai terror attacks convict Ajmal Kasab last year.

"Why government delayed his (Afzal's) hanging.. you should ask the government," Gautam said when he was asked a question in this regard.